This invention lies in the field of ecology and environmental protection. More particularly it is concerned with the disposal of quantities of hydrocarbon sludge, such as bottom sediments and water (commonly called in the petroleum industry BS&W) and other oily waste materials. It is still more particularly related to methods of disposing of such oily wastes in such a manner that there is no drainage or loss that would disturb the environment, and the resulting material can be used for various useful purposes.
In the prior art, material of this nature, such as BS&W, that is, which result from oil field operations and the scrapings of oil storage tanks are generally disposed of by spreading in the form of shallow ponds where part of the water is permitted to evaporate and the oily material is then burned. This results in the formation of dense clouds of black smoke which pollute the atmosphere and cause damage to vegetation.